New treatment could help cure age-related macular degeneration
March 23, 2011
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a vision problem that affects around 9 million Americans who are 40 and over. It can make objects blurry and, in extreme stages, can make driving almost impossible.
There is a promising treatment now being used in the United Kingdom that might stop the progression of wet macular degeneration, which is one of the most common causes of blindness, according to The Daily Mail. This 15-minute procedure may prove to be more comfortable and effective than the alternative, which consists of monthly injections to the eye that last indefinitely.
Those with AMD may also want to consider investing in a personal emergency response system, because poor eyesight can cause injuries at home. These valuable medical alert systems enable users to instantly send a medical alert if they require assistance.
The new treatment, iRay, uses an X-ray machine to cure the condition.
“If the initial results are borne out in these important larger studies then a majority of patients will have something to look forward to – an easily administered, one-off treatment that maintains or improves vision, and fewer injections into their eye,” surgeon Tim Jackson told the news provider.
